The nights are darker but there’s plenty going on in Leytonstone to lighten the mood in the next week or so.

Thursday 1 November, 20:00 until 21:45

Live classical music and tower tour

St John’s Church, Church Lane Leytonstone, E11

The season of magnificent views from St John’s Church Tower is nearing an end with one more opportunity tonight and a special for bonfire night (see below).

In 360 degrees you can see the O2, Olympic Park, right across the City to the London Eye, the Shard and even Alexandra Palace as well as Epping Forest, Whipps Cross and Wanstead Flats. The evening starts off with live music and finishes with a warm drink.

If you don’t fancy going up the tower, there’s an invitation to attend the concert for free instead.

Monday 5 November, 7pm (booking essential)

Live classical music and tower tour Bonfire Night Special

St John’s Church, Church Lane, Leytonstone

Live jazz will start the grand finale of this year’s tower tours: a bird’s eye view of Bonfire Night displays in Waltham Forest and all over Essex and London, with homemade gingerbread and hot chocolate or coffee at the top of the tower.

Reverend Raymond Draper, vicar of St John’s, says: “Our Sunset over London and London by Night tours started in June and have been a great success. The tours have helped towards the outstanding cost of the recent tower repairs and restoration, but more importantly visitors have discovered this beautiful church, enjoyed wonderful music, and had an inspiring experience of London. The special tours for the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies were a highlight, and we’re very much looking forward to more fireworks for our final tour of 2012 on November 5.”

Only 20 places available. Tickets for 5 November are £50. Sorry, no under-8s.

The Paralympics starts next week with the torch relay coming to Leyton on Wednesday evening to coincide with the reopening of the former Marsh Lane Playing Fields as the Jubilee Park. Entrance is free and there will be lots of activities to take part in.

If the weather is nice — and some sun is promised for the weekend — taking a boat out on Hollow Ponds is always a good way to enjoy the weather and you can buy teas, coffees, ice creams and quick food from three places by the pond or pop over the road for a full meal at the Sir Alfred Hitchcock Hotel.

Leytonstone shops, restaurants and cafés would also welcome your custom, with a wide range of food on offer including English, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Romanian, Turkish/Greek/Mediterranean in the town centre, not forgetting the stylish Horizon Patisserie, through to the new Lithuanian Shepherd’s Inn pub right next door to a traditional East End Eel & Pie House in Harrow Green. And lots more besides.

Art exhibition

Although the Stone Space is closed for a summer break until 29 August, there’s a four week art exhibition in the temporary space outside Leytonstone tube called ‘Present’, so if you haven’t been already don’t miss it! The exhibition runs from 20 August to 17 September.

Saturday 25 August

The Lion Heart Market

… will be outside the Red Lion again this Saturday. The Lion Heart Market offers vintage, craft and hand-made and ‘not on the high street’ products from local people. The market is open from 10am to 6pm, and it costs nothing to browse! There’s wheelchair access to the pub and garden, a ground floor disabled toilet.

If the Olympics is not your thing and you’ve chosen to stay in Leytonstone rather than risk sunburn and heat fatigue from somewhere abroad, here are a few suggestions to keep yourself occupied.

Hire a boat on Hollow Ponds, pop into a Leytonstone pub or restaurant for a meal or …

Wandering Rocks exhibition

Stone Space

Check the Stone Space website for opening days and times. There’s also a new display in the Slate gallery window next door.

Now until 12 August

International Peace Quilts

The Stone Space Projects Gallery (outside Leytonstone tube)

The International Peace Quilt project will be on display in The Stone Space Projects Gallery, Station Forecourt, Leytonstone from July 28th to August 12th with a special viewing on August 3rd at 3.pm. Gary Hall jr winner of 10 Olympic Swimming medals and recently joining the U.S. hall of fame is to view the project during his time in London for the Games.

Thursday 2 August

Sunset Tours from the Tower

St John’s Church

The forecast for this Thursday is looking good at the moment, so if you’ve not yet seen the wonderful views from the top of St John’s Church Tower, this week must be a hot favourite for your diary while the Olympics is still on. You’re asked to book in advance: see St John’s Church website for details.

Thursday 2 August

William Morris Gallery reopening

It’s not in Leytonstone, but as it serves the whole borough including Leytonstone they deserve a mention. After a period of closure for refurbishment, the William Morris Gallery is reopening on Thursday 2 August.

When the gallery reopens there will be more of this unique collection on display, including new interactive displays.

The gallery will now be fully accessible and there will be a new special exhibition gallery, an improved shop and a tea room with wi-fi where you can admire the views over the newly-refurbished Lloyd Park.

More information

Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 August

The 2012 Festival of Sport

The fifth of the Council’s Big 6 events programme, takes place at Waltham Forest Town Hall on Saturday and Sunday. Watch the Olympic Games on the giant screen, master a sport of your choice, speak to professionals for advice.

More information

Sunday 5 August

‘Godiva Awakes’

A 10 metre high puppet of Godiva, powered by cyclists, will travel through the borough, starting at Ridgeway Park in Chingford, through the Crooked Billet roundabout and onto Waltham Forest Town Hall as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

Raj against the machine

491 Gallery

Summer Daze schools summer fun

There are activities and events in over 50 schools across the borough this summer for children, young people and their families during the school summer holidays running from Monday 30 July to Friday 24 August. See the Council’s website for more information.

Festival and Arts Trail

It’s the last weekend of Leytonstone Festival and Leytonstone Arts Trail and there’s still a packed programme of Festival events and art appearing all over the area, not just in the 16 venues taking part but also in people’s windows and gardens.

With the sun reckoned to make a much delayed appearance it promises to be a perfect weekend to enjoy these events.

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Some of the pictures at Norlington Road Studios — it’s worth a visit as there are many more to see. Entry is free.

Do look at the official programmes on the Leytonstone Festival and Leytonstone Arts Trail websites/Facebook pages, however, to check for any last minute updates to the programmes, in case I have missed anything or where you may have to book in advance or numbers may be limited. If you spot an error, please let me know.

The Stone Space is the headquarters for Leytonstone Arts Trail 2012 and is showing samples from over 70 artists. You can collect a Trail Guide from The Stone Space and find out about the venues taking part in this year’s Arts Trail.

Leytonstone Festival and Leytonstone Arts Trail continue this week and into next weekend (21-22 July) with music, art, photography, theatre and much more.

Most of the local pubs have special events on and many events are free, or low cost.

Do look at the official programmes on the Leytonstone Festival and Leytonstone Arts Trail websites/Facebook pages, however, to check for any last minute updates to the programmes, in case I have missed anything or where you may have to book in advance or numbers may be limited. If you spot an error, please let me know. Highlights of the coming week include:

Leytonstone Arts Trail Map Exhibition launches at The Stone Space

The Stone Space is the headquarters for Leytonstone Arts Trail 2012 and is showing samples from over 70 artists. You can collect a Trail Guide from The Stone Space, which is open every day this week, and find out about the venues taking part in this year’s Arts Trail including:

Stone Space Projects, Leytonstone’s new pop up gallery situated just outside the tube station

If trekking into town to stand at the back of the crowds failing to see any of the Jubilee celebrations doesn’t take your fancy, or perhaps you’re staging a republican boycott, there’s plenty to do in Leytonstone this weekend, and it’s not so far to get home if (I think, when) it rains!

The Woodhouse Players have their production of Honour at the Welsh Church Hall by the Green Man on Friday and Saturday (and again next weekend).

There’s always something lively happening at the Luna Lounge, and What’s Cooking at the Birkbeck Tavern, there are street parties, some of which are listed on the Queens Jubilee page. Not to mention the many other pubs and restaurants in the Leytonstone area.

The Lion Heart Market will be outside the Red Lion pub again on Monday and Tuesday, with the market on Monday and Tea Party on Tuesday. Take a look at their new website which I helped them set up: Lion Heart Market. The Red Lion itself is having a weekend of fun with its ‘Right Royal Knees Up’.

A new exhibition What’s Going On, opened at the Stonespace gallery this week and St John’s Church has a Bank Holiday Open Day on Monday, including a chance to climb the Tower. It’s also the final day of the Leytonstone Museum exhibition of photographs in Leytonstone library.

If the weather holds out a rowing boat on Hollow Ponds, lunch from the Lakeside Diner or Log Cabin or a drink and a meal at the Sir Alfred Hitchcock hotel make a relaxing day out.

Just when you think the Bank Holiday is over, Leytonstone Film Club are screening Mid August Lunch on Wednesday 6 June 2012 at Leytonstone Library.

Have I missed mentioning your event? Add it at the bottom of the Queens Jubilee page.

This site is no longer being updated

November 2013:
This site is no longer being regularly updated as I have moved from Leytonstone. I hope you have enjoyed using this site. A lot of text and pictures will still be relevant for a long time to come but please check other information in case it is out of date.